With A Healing Heart
by klainebowdrops
Summary: Kurt hasn't spoken to his family in seven years. When his relationship goes sour in the worst way, he needs his dad back-now, more than ever. Can the help of Burt's carer- Blaine Anderson, help bring them back? Title taken from Paloma Faith - Broken Doll. Trigger warning for domestic violence. Rated M for future swears, maybe?
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello there! I got this idea a few days ago, and with the help of Laura, Pagan(DancerGleek4) and Becca, we bashed it out.**

**Thanks to Laura for beta'ing, Pagan who's going to help me co-write, and Becca, for her awesome yet not-so-helpful input. Please read and review! This one is written by me, and I'll write on every chapter telling you who wrote it; either me or Pagan. Thank you, Rachael x**

* * *

Kurt sighs as Adam drunkenly rummages through the fridge.

"There's no food, Adam. I already told you I haven't had the chance to go shopping yet."

"Dammit," Adam slams the fridge door, making all the magnets rattle and one fall to the floor. It's a miniature photo frame, with a picture of them and their son a few days after he'd been born. Kurt is stood cradling Dylan in his arms with Adam's arm wrapped around his waist. They're both smiling tiredly, and looking down adoringly at their little boy. It falls to the floor with a smash and Adam turns to Kurt, looking down at the shattered magnet. "Now look what you made happen!"

"Me?" Kurt snaps. "I didn't tell you go out, get drunk, come home and almost break our fridge!"

"This wouldn't have happened if you'd just bought some damn food!"

"I haven't had time! Isabelle's got me on a deadline, I'm making Dylan's costume for the school play, _and_ I'm taking him back and forth to the babysitter because I don't want him home to see his dad being a pathetic drunk!"

_Smack._

Kurt brings a hand up to his face, his fingertips ghosting over where Adam has just _slapped_ him. He stares at Adam incredulously, who has a look of horror on his face. "Kurt, I-"

"Get out."

"No, Kurt, please don't kick me out. Please." He begs.

"Get. Out." Kurt puts his fingertips to his temples. "I'm not…not kicking you out indefinitely. I just…I need some time to think."

"O-okay," Adam nods. "I'll call you later. I love you." He plants a kiss to Kurt's forehead and walks out. The minute the door shuts, Kurt collapses in a heap on the floor, knees up to his chest and rocking back and forth in a sobbing heap. _Adam hit him. Adam, sweet and caring Adam- who Kurt threw his relationship with his father away for- has just hit him._

* * *

"Kurt, will you _please_ just tell me what happened?" Rachel asks, coming to sit with him on her spare bed. Once the sobs had worn off, Kurt had stood up, packed an overnight bag for him and Dylan and driven to the babysitters to pick him up. He told Dylan they were having a sleepover with Aunty Rachel.

"It's nothing, Rach," He sniffs. "We had a little argument, that's all. I just need some space."

Rachel narrows her eyes disbelievingly but just shrugs it off. Kurt will talk to her when he's ready. "Dylan's fast asleep." She told him.

"Thanks," He says, checking his phone. Adam has already called five times and Kurt has ignored every call. It isn't 'til it rings for the sixth time that he plucks up the courage to answer.

**_"What do you want, Adam?"_**

**"Kurt, baby. Please come home. I am ****_so_**** sorry. I'll never do it again, I swear. I just drank way too much. I can't lose you. Or Dylan."**

**_"That doesn't change the fact that you _****did****_ do it."_**

**"I know. I don't know why I did it. I'll never drink again, I promise. I'll quit. I will. Just, ****_please_**** come home."**

**_"Not…not tonight. Dylan's asleep, and I-I need some time to think."_**

**"Okay. Come home tomorrow, then? Please?"**

**_"Maybe. I'll let you know tomorrow."_**

**"Okay. Thank you. I'm so sorry, Kurt. I really am. I love you and Dylan ****_so_**** much. ****_So, so _****much."**

**_"Uh huh. Bye, Adam."_**

Kurt hangs up and falls backward onto the bed, groaning. The slap is still there, like a shadow that won't fade. He knows he shouldn't forgive Adam. He _hit_ him, for crying out loud. But the insecure bit at the back of his brain niggles and asks, "_What if I deserved it?"_

* * *

After a profound amount of apologies, and 'it'll never happen again's' and 'I'll quit drinking's', Kurt went back.

The second time it happened, Kurt went into work the next day and had to explain why he was trying to sew with a sprained finger. He told his colleagues he'd trapped it in his car door, when really, Adam had trodden on his hand after shoving Kurt to the floor. All because Kurt didn't iron his favourite shirt.

The final straw came when they were bickering about whose turn it was to take Dylan the following morning. Adam had snapped, telling Kurt his job as a chauffeur was more important than Kurt's 'stupid magazine'. Kurt had shouted back that if it wasn't for his 'stupid magazine' then they never would have met in the first place, before telling Adam he wishes they hadn't. Before he knows it, Adam has grabbed Kurt by the hair and shoved him into the wall, making Kurt smack his head against the doorframe.

Each time it had happened, Kurt had kicked him out before dragging himself and Dylan to Rachel's for the night. And each time, he wished he'd swallowed his pride and called his dad.

Burt had never approved of Adam. The first time they'd met, he didn't take his eyes off Kurt. And not in a loving way, in a _possessive_ way. It was like he didn't want Kurt to move from his line of vision. He was _handsy_ too. He was always touching Kurt somehow_._ Burt just had a bad feeling. When he'd voiced these worries, Kurt had laughed them off as Burt just being protective.

Two years later, Kurt called him with some news.

**"Hummel Tyres and Lube. How can I help?"**

_"__**Hi, Dad."**_

**"Kurt?"**

**_"Yeah, it's me."_**

**"What's up, kiddo?"**

**_"I need to tell you something."_**

**"Okay…what is it?"**

**"****_We um…we got married."_**

**"We who?"**

**_"Me and Adam. We eloped."_**

**"Wait, what? When did you even get engaged?!"**

**_"Um...well uh, um. Yesterday?"_**

**"What?!"**

**_"We didn't tell anyone. We just…did it."_**

**"Kurt, you've been planning your own wedding since kindergarten. I refuse to believe that this was your idea. It wasn't, was it?"**

**"****_Not exactly…"_**

**"I can't believe this, Kurt. You know I never liked him."**

**_"Can't you be happy for me?"_**

**"I'm happy that you're happy, but I can't be happy about this."**

**_"My own father can't be happy for me. Great."_**

**"It's not that I'm not happy for you, kiddo. I just think you've made a mistake."**

**_"Well I don't. Nice to know what you _****really****_ think, Dad."_**

**_"_****Kurt, don't-"**

*******_Dial tone.*_**

Kurt hasn't spoken to his dad in three years. And now more than ever, he needs him. He packs his bags, and stores them at the back of his wardrobe. Then he goes into Dylan's room and packs his things. He scribbles a note for Adam and sticks it to the front of the bedroom door.

_Adam,_

_I'm out. I've had enough. I've left, and I've taken our son with me. He isn't safe around you._

_Goodbye, Adam._

_All the best,_

_Kurt._

He gets some cello tape and sticks his wedding ring onto the door, next to the note.

He grabs their bags, and loads up the car. He picks Dylan up from school, claiming it's a 'family emergency'. Kurt makes sure Dylan is securely in the car, before pressing a kiss to his forehead and getting in the driver's seat.

"Dad, where are we going?"

Kurt almost smacks his head against the dashboard in frustration. He had a plan, he planned every last detail. Every detail, but a location. Then he smiles sadly when he gets an idea.

"Lima, Ohio."


	2. Chapter One

**This lovely angst-filled chapter was written by Pagan (DancerGleek4). Thanks again to Laura for beta'ing and for basically saving this fic from being a flaming pile of bad continuity at 2 in the morning. **

Kurt pulls into one of many spaces in an empty car park outside the first hotel he came to in Lima. He's tired, _so tired_ after the stress of the day and the 10 hour drive from New York to Ohio, and he can't bring himself to drive for another minute. He turns off the engine, but stays in his seat for a moment longer. He grips the steering wheel tight and takes a deep breath. _This is it,_ he tells himself_, ye to start afresh._

Dylan is asleep in the back seat, and Kurt shakes the six year old gently to rouse him, as he can't carry him _and_ three large bags into the hotel."Sorry buddy, you need to wake up just for a second."

Dylan grumbles and screws his eyes up.

"Please, Dylan, just get up for a second, I need you to carry your bag, I can't manage all of it." Kurt rubs Dylan's arm but he shakes him off.

"No Dad…'M tired…" Dylan wriggles away from Kurt.

"Noooo…" Dylan turns his head away and scowls.

"Dylan, please?" Kurt tries to reach across him to unbuckle the seat belt, but is met with a knee in his shoulder and a yelp from Dylan, who is kicking up a tantrum about being moved. "DYLAN! Will you PLEASE get OUT!" Kurt shouts, punching a fist down on the seat next to his son in frustration. He pulls himself out of the car and straightens up, rubbing his eyes tiredly and sighing when he hears a small whimper from inside. He takes a deep breath to calm his racing heart. "I'm sorry, just please will you help me? I'm tired too, it's been a long day, and the faster we can get into our hotel room the faster we can go to sleep."

Dylan clambers out silently, dragging his Doctor Who backpack behind him. He shuts the door and walks around to the back of the vehicle, attempting to open the boot, but failing as his little fingers can't push the button all the way in and his little arms are too weak to lift the hatch up.

"I'll do it." Kurt gently moves Dylan out of the way and opens the door, pulling out the two large bags filled with everything he could manage to fit inside on such short notice. Dylan sniffles a bit but otherwise remains silent, and Kurt feels a twinge of guilt. He'd just left Adam because he was always shouting and lashing out, and now he'd just done the same thing to his own son.

He puts the bags on the ground with a gentle thud and shuts the boot, then struggles to pick them up again. He starts crossing the parking lot motioning for Dylan to follow him, and he feels a tear spill over. He sniffs loudly, trying desperately to hold it together for just another minute._ "You can't let it go yet._" His mind is telling him.

They get inside and walk up to the front desk, Dylan still lagging a few steps behind Kurt, head downcast. Kurt drags his eyes away from the small, sad boy, and faces the receptionist. "Can we have a room with a double bed for tonight, please?"

"Certainly, can I take a name?" the young man at the desk begins typing.

"Hummel." Kurt waits patiently for the man to finish entering information onto the computer, but he's ready to collapse at any given moment.

"Okay, you're in room 301, it's first on the third floor. Here's your room key…" He rummages in a draw under his desk before presenting Kurt with a scratched card on a key chain with a sticker saying '301' in scrawled marker on it. "That will be $78 please."

Kurt's stomach lurches at the cost but he pays up anyway. He'll make sure to make Adam pay for that.

On the way up to their room in the elevator, Dylan still remains silent. Kurt sighs for the thousandth time, but says nothing. He isn't in the right mind for conversation either.

Their room is small, but it's more than enough for one night. Kurt and Dylan dump their bags on the ground by the window, and Kurt tells Dylan to get into his pyjamas and just get straight into bed.

"Without cleaning my_ teeth_?" Dylan asks incredulously.

"Just for tonight." Kurt replies, smiling a little at the shocked and excited look on his son's face.

Kurt begins changing too, but he only manages to take off his belt when his phone starts ringing inside his pocket. He pulls it out and his breath catches when he sees the caller ID.****

**_Adam._**

"Uh, I'm just going to step outside the room to take this call, honey, you can slip into bed." Kurt tells Dylan, before leaving the room and closing the door quietly. He takes a deep breath, and presses accept on his phone.

** "Kurt?"** Adam's voice on the other end sounds odd, as if he had been crying.

**"****_I take it you got my note?"_** Kurt says, trying not to let his voice wobble even though his heart is thumping wildly in his chest.

**"Kurt where are you?"**

**_"I'm not coming home, Adam."_**

**"Tell me where you are, I just want to know so I-"**

**_ "No, you aren't a part of our life anymore. I don't have to tell you anything." _**

** "You can't say that Kurt, you can't. I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise, I'll stop drinking! For real this time, I promise!"**

Kurt scoffs. **_"'For real this time', really Adam? You sound like a child. Your promises don't mean anything. You've promised me that you'll stop drinking, that you'll make it up to me, that you won't hurt me, hurt us, ever again. You've promised time and time again, and every time you break that promise. I've had enough. It isn't safe for me or Dylan to be around you anymore, and quite frankly I don't want to be around you anymore."_**

Kurt's almost yelling now, hands shaking and head spinning with anger and frustration pumping through his veins.

** "Kurt, you can't do this to me… I love you! I've loved you forever, you can't-"**

**_"No, Adam, you don't love me. You don't love Dylan. You don't love anybody, because you're always too drunk to see! How can you hurt the person you love? You can't! You hurt me though. Over, and over again. And now it's time to stop. Goodbye, Adam."_**

Kurt hangs up before Adam could speak again. His blood is rushing in his ears, and his legs feel weak and wobbly. He leans back against the door and slides to the ground, crumpling over, finally letting the tears that he had been holding back for hours fall. His head is in his hands and his stomach is churning, shoulders shaking violently with the force of his choking sobs. Why did this hurt so much? Adam was violent, he was selfish, he wasn't deserving of Kurt's love. So why did Kurt's heart break for him?

* * *

The next day, Kurt and Dylan don't wake until almost noon. They gather their things and leave the hotel quickly, loading it back into the car and hitting the road again. Kurt had awoken to a total of fifteen missed calls and seven voice mails, all from Adam, which were deleted immediately. Kurt didn't need any more drive to Kurt's old neighbourhood and his old house is short, and before he knows it he's pulling onto a familiar drive. "Okay Dylan, hopefully Grandma Carole will let us stay here for a little while, so come inside and be nice." Kurt twists around to see his son's face was still miserable, as it had been since they left New York yesterday afternoon. "Look… I know this is confusing. I know you're upset to be leaving New York, but I promise things will be getting better from now on. He can't hurt me anymore, hurt us anymore. Okay?"

Dylan nods mutely, rubbing furiously at his eyes.

"Come on then, let's go." Kurt climbs out of the car and walks up to the door hand in hand with Dylan, deciding to leave the bags in the car for a while. He presses the doorbell and hears the chiming noise go off inside, and waits with his breath held.

The door swings open and a very flustered looking Carole freezes in her action when she sees who is on her doorstep. Kurt smiles a little and whispers, "Hi, Carole," before being engulfed in a huge hug. He relaxes instantly into her embrace; he hasn't been hugged like this since… Well, since the last time he had seen his stepmother.

_One year earlier…_

**_"Carole?"_** Kurt answered the phone breathlessly. Why would his stepmother be calling him at two in the morning?

**"Kurt, I'm sorry it's so late, I just, I had to call you, it's your…"** Carole cut off with a small sob and a hiccup.

**_"Carole, Carole, breath, what happened?"_**

Kurt was starting to panic now, and Adam had woken up beside him in bed, turning the lamp on and looking up at Kurt groggily.

**"It's your dad, he had another heart attack."**

Kurt swore his heart stopped for a beat. Or two. Or three.

"Kurt? What is it?" Adam asked, sitting up and putting a hand on Kurt's arm. "What happened?"

Kurt ignored him. **_"A- A heart attack? Again? Oh my god, please say he's alive."_**

**"He's alive, but that's n-not all… He had a stroke. The heart attack caused a stroke."**

**_"Oh god, oh god is he okay?"_**

**"They're just running some tests. He's awake, and they've put him on Warfarin to thin his blood so he doesn't have another attack or stroke."**

**_"Is he going to be alright?"_**

**"I – I don't know."**

The next few days were a blur of phone calls and medical information being passed between doctors and Carole and Kurt, but eventually Burt was released from the hospital.

He was put in a home. Carole couldn't look after him all day and he couldn't get by on his own, not with his newfound disabilities. The stroke had caused complications leading to loss of movement of his arms and reduced movement in his legs, as well as speech difficulties and sometimes some short term memory loss.

Kurt never went to see him. He didn't even talk to him on the phone. It killed him, but he couldn't do it. Not only was he still angry at him, Burt's illness made it even worse, because now Kurt was guilty. He had ignored his own father for two years, and he had almost died, and now he had all these problems and Kurt just couldn't do it. He couldn't visit or call and act like he cared about him, when for the past two years he'd done nothing but try to make out he didn't care anymore.

The truth was that Kurt _did_ care; he cared greatly for his dad. _But you love Adam more_, he told himself. So he couldn't do anything but use Carole as a source of information until he was sure Burt's condition was stable, then cut them right back out of his life again.


	3. Chapter Two

**A/N: Thank god for Pagan. I was completely stuck on writing Kurt/Carole dialogue, so she fixed it:) Hope you enjoy this chapter. As always, please read and review. Thanks, Rachael xox**

They pull back from the hug and Carole gets a proper look at her step-son. His shoulders are broader and his jaw is more prominent, but underneath the layers of designer clothes - his style hasn't changed much - he's still the kind, sweet boy she got to know back in his high school days. His hair is even higher, something she didn't think possible, and his eyes are still the same cerulean blue-grey colour as before, but there's something behind them. A mix of hurt, anger, and guilt.

"I'm…I'm sorry to just turn up like this, Carole." Kurt says.

She shakes her head. "It's fine. I'm just…what are you doing here, Kurt?"

"We left New York."

"You and… Adam?" Carole asks.

"No," Kurt shakes his head and for the first time, Carole notices the small figure hidden behind Kurt's legs. Kurt steps out the way so that his son can be seen. "This is Dylan." Kurt crouches down to him. "Dylan, this is Grandma Carole. Say hello."

The six year old shuffles his feet on the doorstep before mumbling a "Hi" to his Grandmother.

Carole smiles at the small, nervous looking boy, and waves at him. "Hi there, Dylan."

It is then that Kurt notices the handbag on her shoulder. "Oh. You were on your way out, I'm sorry. "

"It's fine," She waves a hand. "It doesn't matter if I'm a little late. Do you boys want to come in?"

"You don't mind?" Kurt asks.

"Of course I don't!" She smiles. "Come in, come in."

* * *

They follow her through to the living room, and the waves of nostalgia hit Kurt at full force. The furniture is the same, but it's been re-arranged and it's a lot more ragged. The same framed pictures sit on the mantelpiece; Kurt and Finn at Graduation, Burt and Kurt outside Kurt's first New York apartment- where he lived with Rachel, and of course, all of them, at Burt and Carole's wedding. Mike took the picture just after Finn had sang to Kurt; they're all sat at the main table smiling at each other while Mr Schue sings 'Sway' in the background. Burt looks blissfully happy. Kurt hadn't seen him that happy since…well, since before Elizabeth died.

He lets his thoughts return to the present and joins Dylan on the sofa. He sees his son's nervous look and squeezes his hand. "We'll be okay, buddy. Carole is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet."

Dylan just nods.

Carole sits in the chair opposite, and looks at Dylan before turning to Kurt. "So, are you just here on a spontaneous weekend away from your partner, or has something else driven you away from New York?"

Kurt sighs. He doesn't know whether he should tell Carole about Adam's abusive nature. She has enough on her plate as it is, having to cope with a disabled husband; Kurt doesn't need to add to her stress. Also, he doesn't want to prove his father right about Adam, and Carole would surely tell Burt. "Adam and I have been… doing some thinking lately, and we think it's best that we go our separate ways. It's been building for a while, and I suppose he's just sick and tired of me." Kurt pulls a 'what-can-you-do' face and shrugs his shoulders.

"Oh, honey," Carole comforts him, "It isn't your fault." She pats Kurt's hand gently, and he cringes, that nagging feeling in the back of his mind that perhaps it was his fault that Adam had had to turn to violence and drinking. Maybe if he'd been a better partner, he wouldn't have been forced to lash out…

"Well, anyway, Dylan and I are back in Ohio, and even though it's ridiculously rude of me considering how the last few years have played out, I was hoping that we could room in here for a while? Just until we get back on our feet and find a new place." Kurt bites his lip; he hadn't thought about just how terrible this was of him.

Carole looks thoughtful, pursing her lips and creasing her eyebrows worriedly.

Kurt jumps in again, before she has a chance to refuse, "I promise it will only be for a short while, you won't even know we're here. And I'm so sorry for acting like a total brat; I should have kept in touch, I should have visited when Dad… Well, I should have visited more often. You deserve to have met your grandson and he deserves to have met you. I-"

"Kurt! Kurt, listen to me, I have no problem with you staying with me for a bit." Carole smiles gently at her stepson.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Even if the situation between us and your father isn't the best, I'm not going to turn my stepson and grandson out to the streets. There's plenty of space here and it'll be nice to have a bit of company for a while." Carole gives Kurt a beaming smile. "It's great to see you again, Kurt."

Kurt gives a small, shy smile in return. "You too Carole. I just hope my dad will be glad to see me."

* * *

Carole signs herself in at the front desk and waves to a couple of the nurses she recognises on her way to Burt's room. She reaches his door and takes a deep breath before entering. She smiles sadly at her husband, who is lounging in his armchair before taking a seat next to him and grabbing hold of one of his hands. "Hi, honey. Sorry I'm late." She says, lifting his hand to kiss it.

Burt turns his head slowly and stares at her. "Carole?"

"Yeah," She nods. "Yeah, it's me. How are you feeling?"

Burt shrugs. "I'm okay today," He gestures for her to bend over so her ear is near his mouth. "There's a new carer." He whispers.

Carole looks over his shoulder and sees a man coming out of Burt's bedroom with a pile of laundry. He smiles at her and puts it in the basket before offering a hand.

"You must be the famous Carole," He says. "Blaine Anderson. I'm new here, and I've been assigned to help Burt."

She smiles and shakes his hand. "Nice to meet you, Blaine. You carry on with what you're doing, don't mind us."

Blaine nods and continues folding laundry, unintentionally hearing their conversation.

"Burt, honey. There's something I need to tell you."

Burt turns and looks at her curiously. "What is it?"

"Well…I got a visitor today. Someone we haven't seen in a long time."

He furrows his brow. "Who?"

"Your son."

Burt shakes his head. "Finn visited me last week."

Carole takes a deep breath. "Not Finn, sweetie. Kurt."

"Why the hell is he here?" Burt snaps. "He made it perfectly clear he wanted nothing to do with us when he chose that…that…"

"Adam?"

"Yeah. Him. He chose him over us." Burt huffs. "Kid hasn't come to see us in seven years, Carole. What makes him think he can just waltz in now?"

"Burt, sweetie. You need to calm down."

Burt throws an arm to the side in frustration and knocks the jug of water from the table onto his chair. "Great. Now look what I've done." He grumbles, staring at the puddle of water turning the fabric dark.

Blaine turns around just as Burt knocks the jug and rushes over. "Burt, it's okay. It's just some water, relax."

Burt sighs and turns back to Carole, looking at her knowingly. "He wants to visit, doesn't he?"

Carole nods.

"No," He shakes his head. "I don't want to see him. Tell him he can't."

Carole frowns. "Burt, I think he wants to make amends. And…something seems off. He doesn't seem like himself."

"Sorry to interrupt," Blaine says. "But Carole, do you think you can help me lift Burt, please? I need to change the seat cushions."

Carole nods and takes Burt's arms to lift him. He shakes slightly as he stands up, but his legs still after a minute. "That kid broke my heart, Carole," Burt sighs. "I'll be damned if I'm letting him do it again."

"Okay," Carole nods, her voice cracking slightly. "I'll tell him you don't want to see him."

"Done." Blaine says with a smile. "I'll just go take these to the laundry room. Is there anything you need, Burt?"

Burt shakes his head and sits back down. "Thanks."

He nods and leaves the room, carrying the wash basket. "He seems nice." Carole says.

"Blaine's alright," Burt smiles but it's more of a grimace thanks to the droop on the left side of his face from the stroke. "He's a good kid."

"Well I need to get going, I'm working the evening shift," Carole smiles sadly, standing up and bending down to kiss Burt's head. "I'll see you tomorrow, honey."

Burt kisses her cheek. "See you tomorrow."

She walked toward the door but turned back suddenly. "Burt?"

"Hmm?"

"Please think about it. You need each other." Burt just nods reluctantly. "I love you." She says, opening the door.

"Love you too."


End file.
